Mama's Back and Taking Notes
by BlackFox12
Summary: Grace had held back for too long. Not anymore.


**Averting The End**

**Mama's Back and Taking Notes**

**Title:** Mama's Back and Taking Notes

**Disclaimer: **We own nothing from Umbrella Academy and are making nothing from this story.

**Summary: **Grace had held back for too long. Not anymore.

**Warning(s):** Disciplinary Spanking of adults. Potential spoilers for Umbrella Academy.

**Authors:** BlackFox12 and Hope1iz

###

Five was sleeping. Grace checked him over; made sure his vitals were steady. That the wound was in no danger of reopening. And then she leaned over and kissed his forehead. She knew there was a lot more to him coming back than any of them had admitted to her; but she was glad that he had. Even if she hadn't had the opportunity to take care of him.

Straightening, Grace quietly exited the room and then turned to face Klaus and Diego, eyes looking over both of them from head to toe; taking in the injuries both had clearly sustained. "Your brother has been shot. It's fortunate that he's going to be okay," she said firmly. "But you've both been injured. I can see that. You need to tell me what's been happening."

"Don't look at me! I have no clue what the f..." Klaus glanced at Diego's scowl, then back at Grace. "...Heck is goin' on. Not sure I'm not hallucinating the whole thing..." he mumbled unhappily. He didn't truly feel that way. The fact that Ben confirmed everything when they talked was enough proof for him to know it was all real. Still. What in the world was he supposed to say to Grace's question?

Diego swallowed and looked away from Grace; the only mother any of them had ever known, but especially him. "We... They were going to make a deal with hitmen. Hitmen who killed... killed..." He paused and closed his eyes, still angry at the fact that he hadn't in fact taken out the ones who had murdered the woman he loved. He wasn't sure how to explain either.

The silence from both young men was telling.

"Hitmen?" A whole wealth of emotion carried through in that one word. Grace was self-aware. She knew she wasn't flesh and blood in the same way her children were. That didn't stop her caring about them. _Worrying_ about them. Being fearful for their safety. If it hadn't been for Reginald, she would have visited each of them in person, instead of doing what she could to keep tabs on them.

Looking from one to the other, Grace let her arms cross over her chest. It wasn't often she became more stern with them, but from the sounds of it... "You went after hitmen. You were both _hurt_ because you went after hitmen." She wasn't really asking a question. The evidence in front of her was self-explanatory.

"Hey! They _kidnapped me_ first!" Klaus tried to defend himself. "And it took everyone _forever _to notice until the detective showed up... and not sure why she showed up, but it enabled me to escape, but somehow... well, I'm ashamed I didn't think to stick around and help her fight. I thought she had backup and would be okay and I didn't want to answer questions by police, so I ran... and then I was 'poof', all gone back into 1968 and all, but still... I'm sorry I didn't stay long enough to make sure she was okay..." He risked a glance at his brother, his remorse clear.

Diego swallowed hard. "She shouldn't have been there alone..." he muttered. "...She called_ me _for backup, and I didn't get there in time. If anyone is to blame, it's me..."

They both conveniently ignored their mother's (and that's what she was, if they actually thought about it) stern comments regarding going after the hitmen in question. What could be said about that? She wasn't wrong and they weren't in the habit of lying to her, even if they had got into the bad habit of hiding things from her.

Grace frowned. She'd clearly missed a lot with everything going on and having been deactivated. She was 'awake' now, but it hadn't been in time to protect any of her children. "On top of everything else, both of you endangered yourselves." She shook her head, allowing her disappointment to show. "I know we've talked about this several times already, Diego."

Diego shifted uncomfortably at the words. "Not for years!" he protested weakly. "Not since I moved out on my own!"

Klaus shifted uncomfortably for a different reason and didn't say anything. He only wished she'd talked to him about endangering himself. He'd kept his activities well hidden, though, when he'd still lived in the house. No way was he giving Reginald any extra reasons to berate him, not to mention if the old man had known what he was doing to attempt to stop seeing the spirits, he would have put him on twenty-four hour supervision and then, once he was clean, stuffed him into a mausoleum again. He was sure of it. Once he'd moved out, it was as if everyone had forgotten he existed. Not that they'd ever really noticed him that much before. Grace had been somewhat different. She had noticed him occasionally. But she didn't step in with him like she did Diego. He was too good at hiding the things she would have stepped in with.

"You're not on your own now." Grace looked over each of them. "Neither of you are. And it seems the consequences of me not stepping in are clear. So, this dangerous, reckless behaviour is going to be handled. By me."

"..._Mama_..." Diego said, in a tiny voice, soft enough it was almost a whisper. He remembered how she handled what she viewed as unnecessarily reckless behavior. He didn't want that.

Klaus just looked confused.

Grace's eyes were soft as she looked at both of her sons, but all she did was reach out and wrap an arm each around their shoulders. She didn't have her own room in the house and she'd always taken care of matters in Diego's room in the past, so she said quietly, "We will continue this in Diego's room."

Klaus wrinkled his nose at that but given the state of his own room (and the fact he still had evidence of his drugs, alcohol and other questionable items there), he didn't argue. He let his mother lead him without fight.

Diego didn't argue or fight either. "Are you mad, Mama?" he couldn't help but ask in a tone of voice he only ever used with Grace.

Grace kept an arm each around them, holding her sons close. It had been too long since she'd been able to touch any of them after they'd moved out and left her. She didn't blame them; of course, she didn't. But she'd still missed each and every one of them, even if she'd been able to reassure herself they were still alive, unlike Ben.

"I'm worried about you...both of you," Grace replied honestly. "And I'm disappointed we have to revisit this again. But I'm not angry."

"Are you really?" Klaus asked uncertainly. "Worried about me, I mean?" He had a hard time believing her words. He'd slipped away before most of them and had done the least to keep in touch. She hadn't seemed to care at the time, although maybe he wasn't being fair. She'd been under the same unloving control of Reginald as the rest of them had.

Diego glanced at his brother. He had no trouble believing Grace's words, but it was only recently becoming clear to him that while Reginald had been the most at fault for their dysfunctional upbringings, they'd done plenty to each other to contribute. Or, in Klaus's case, _not done anything _to contribute to his thinking he was _valued_ at all. He winced.

"Of course, Klaus," Grace replied; a little sadly, because she knew what prompted the question and the doubt. She let her fingers stroke against his cheek as she continued, "I wish I could have left the house to come to see you after you left. All I could do was seek out what information was available to me from here." Which was what she'd done with all of them.

Klaus pressed his face against her fingers, then nodded. "I wish you could have too..." he whispered sadly.

All too soon, they were at Diego's room. "Do... do we have to do this?" Diego asked uncertainly. If she continued on the present course, he knew she'd be able to find all the other injuries that she couldn't see. Not to mention, being that vulnerable would make it near impossible for him not to break down; he always had when she handled him. There were things he didn't want to say out loud; not because he didn't want her to hear (or even didn't want Klaus to hear), but because saying them out loud would make them real.

Grace led them both inside, closing the door to give them privacy. "Yes, Diego, we do," she answered calmly. "You are both too important to risk yourselves in the way you did. And I don't mean important to the world. I mean important to _me_." She let her fingers stroke against their cheeks, lovingly and affectionately, and then said softly to Klaus, "I'm going to spank you."

Klaus's eyes widened and he cleared his throat nervously. "I... I..." He and his boyfriend had fooled around a bit with the whole dominance thing, but that had been playing. Not for punishment. He wasn't entirely certain how to handle this new development.

Diego snorted at his brother's reaction. "Believe me. Once she gets started, you won't be able to mistake it for anything but what it is. Her teaching you a lesson on what you should and should not be doing with your life..." he said ominously.

Klaus gulped.

Grace gave them both a hug, holding them close and tight, and then used her grip on Diego to lead him over to one of the corners. "Stand here, sweetie." She kissed his cheek, like she'd always done when leading him into the corner; though she didn't have to stoop down to do so this time. She then squeezed Klaus' hand. "It's going to be okay, love." She led him over towards the bed.

Diego obediently stood in the corner, bending down just enough that she could kiss his cheek before straightening and looking resolutely ahead.

Klaus bit his lip as Diego was put in the corner. If the situation were any less serious, he might have laughed at the fact they were being treated like children at their age; but the fact was, it was a very serious situation and Grace, she was actually noticing him. Granted, it might not be the way he'd wanted, but she was noticing. And caring. So... he swallowed again. "I'm sorry, mommy..." he whispered.

"I love you." Grace stroked her fingers along Klaus' hand as she reached the bed and sat down, gently drawing him across her lap. Settling him in place and ensuring he wouldn't fall, she stroked along his back before proceeding to bare him.

"Hey... _whoa_... _mooommy_!" Klaus whined and reached back to hold his britches in place. He didn't have much modesty, but there was a big difference between mooning people in a drunken stupor and being over his mother's lap with her baring him to spank.

Grace grasped his hand gently, pulling it out of the way so she could continue to bare him. "This is how spankings are given, love. On the bare." She slid her hand under his shirt, rubbing reassuringly over his bare back.

Klaus flushed, but didn't try and fight further, instead shifting his free arm up so he could hide his face against it. He whimpered but relaxed slightly at the gentle backrub.

Keeping one hand on her son's back, Grace lifted her other and brought it down in a firm smack at the crest of his backside. She'd had a lot of experience with giving out this type of punishment, so kept careful control over her own strength to make sure the swat wasn't too hard. She brought her hand down again, delivering a matching swat to his other cheek.

Klaus let out a tiny yelp, but quickly settled, trying to keep his breathing calm as she began to punish him. It would have been easier had Ben not decided to show up at that moment.

"Oh... look who got in trouble with Mom!" the ghost of his brother teased gently. "You're lucky she doesn't know all the stuff you did when you moved out. The stuff that would get you arrested, in a hospital, or worse, in a morgue!"

"You're enjoying this!" Klaus accused Ben, forgetting that he was the only one that could see or hear the apparition.

Grace, aware that Klaus didn't seem to be addressing her or Diego, still responded. "_I_ am not," she said firmly, delivering the firm swats down to his thighs before starting over from the top. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Klaus. I love you. I don't want to lose you."

"No! Not _you,_ mommy!" Klaus said plaintively. "Ben! He's watching and teasing me!" He began to squirm half-way through his explanation, his voice catching on a few words as his backside began to sting.

Diego glanced over his shoulder at that, not seeing any sign of Ben, but seeing no reason to disbelieve Klaus either. "That's mean... teasing him when he's in trouble!" he said to the room at large, not sure if Ben could hear him or not.

Grace tightened her hold on Klaus, preventing him from squirming off her lap. She glanced around, too, though she couldn't see any sign of him. "If you didn't talk him out of doing this, you'd be in trouble as well," she commented to the ghost of her dead son. Her eyes were a little damp, though, as she still grieved Ben's death and wished she could see him...speak to him...hold him...hug him...

"I know, Mom..." Ben responded, even though he knew she couldn't hear. His own voice was sad.

Klaus, despite squirming frantically by this point and fighting back tears, choked out a bordering on teary, "...He said he knows, mommy..." After relaying the message, he began to cry.

Diego pressed his face into the corner of the wall. He'd thought he'd be able to handle this. Listening to his brother's tears, hearing the pain and sorrow in his mother's voice, knowing the ghost of his other brother was with them and couldn't connect with them (with the exception of Klaus). That hurt. He wasn't going to be able to handle it. He'd be lucky if he wasn't sobbing before his mother had finished giving _Klaus_ his spanking.

"I love you." Grace's voice was filled with sadness. "I love _all_ of you." She was speaking to Ben as well as to Klaus and Diego. Her hand still gently rubbed over Klaus' back, even as she continued the spanking, starting a third circuit and going a bit harder and faster.

Ben would have been crying, if he'd been able to. The lights flickering on and off likely gave away his own feelings of sadness and distress. "I love you, mom..." he said, even though she couldn't hear.

"I love you too, mommy! So does Ben...!" Klaus sobbed, before going limp over her lap and just accepting the punishment.

Diego's own, "I love you, mama," was lost under Klaus's sobbing.

Bringing the spanking to a stop, Grace drew Klaus into a tight hug, cradling him on her lap and rocking him just as if he was a child again. She kissed the top of his head and just held on.

It didn't take long for Klaus's sobbing to turn to soft sniffles as he cuddled close. He was a tactile man by nature,, but had got used to his family brushing him off and not wanting to be touched. Having Grace hold him and cuddle him was like heaven to him. "I really _am_ sorry, mommy... I never thought to scare or worry you..." he whispered.

Grace hugged Klaus tightly to herself, stroking his hair and down over his back. "I know, love. I forgive you. I love you," she repeated.

Klaus cuddled as long as he was able, but he couldn't ignore that Ben was standing by the dresser, looking sad and lonely. Wiping his eyes, he sat up. "Don't be sad, Ben. She loves you too. Even if she can't see you..."

"I want to hug her, though... I want to hug all of them..." Ben said mournfully.

Klaus looked sad. "He wishes he could hug you too..." he said to Grace.

"Where is he?" Grace asked softly, shifting so they could both stand.

Klaus stood carefully and pulled his pants up with a hiss, before looking and nodding to the side of the dresser. "He's standing just at the corner of the dresser..." he said softly.

Diego turned around to watch what his mother would do.

Grace walked over. She couldn't see her third son...couldn't touch him...but she remembered the shape of his body. She stretched her arms out to the spot Klaus had indicated, as if she truly could hug Ben.

Klaus watched wide-eyed as Grace moved toward Ben. She was remarkably close to his brother for not being able to see, feel, or hear. It took but a step for Ben to move into her outstretched arms and wrap his own around her. Klaus wished fervently that Ben could solidify at least enough that she could feel him, even if she couldn't see him.

Ben wasn't sure what was happening, but he felt a difference in himself and took a chance on 'squeezing' his arms together, as if he could hold his mother tight.

Diego swallowed as an incandescent shape formed in front of their mother, something arm-shaped moving around her. He didn't dare voice a question or say what he saw, afraid it would disturb what was going on and take this away from Grace.

The tears in Grace's eyes slipped down her cheeks as she felt the pressure...the embrace being returned...and she tightened her own arms around the form she could feel pressed against her, brushing a kiss against the head that was just barely there. "I love you so much," she whispered.

"I love and miss you, mom..." Ben said, holding on as long as he was able.

Unfortunately, Klaus was only able to give Ben the needed energy for a few short moments before he fell back onto the bed and sagged wearily. He gave Ben a sad smile as his brother faded back into incorporeal form. "Sorry... " he whispered, to both his brother and mother.

Grace brushed her hand over the air where she'd felt Ben for a precious few seconds. "Thank you, Klaus." Her voice was filled with emotion. She lingered a moment or two, imagining she could still feel Ben, and then moved back over to Klaus, giving him another tight hug and kissing his head.

"You're welcome, mommy..." Klaus whispered, leaning into the tight hug and kiss before carefully forcing himself to stand again. He wasn't sure when he'd have another opportunity to sleep, but he hoped it would be soon.

Diego let out a soft sigh and waited to be called out of the corner.

Ben gave Klaus a grateful look, shifting so that he could go stand next to his brother and offer emotional support, even if he couldn't physically hold Klaus up. "Tell her you're tired," he told the other man. "She'll make sure you can rest."

Grace stroked the side of Klaus' face. "You're tired, love," she murmured. "You can get some rest."

"I don't have to stay in the corner?" he asked hesitantly. He suspected Diego would be happier if he weren't in the room when he received his own spanking and truthfully, he'd rather be anywhere else than witnessing his brother's punishment. But he didn't want to just leave unless he was given permission. He owed Grace more respect than that.

Diego bit his lip and looked at Grace hopefully.

Grace nodded. "But I want you to come and spend time with me when you wake up, love. You _and_ Ben."

"We'll both do that..." Klaus promised for himself and his brother. Giving Grace one last hug and giving Diego a sympathetic smile, Klaus quickly slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him, and went to his own room so he could sleep.

Diego watched him go with a sad frown before turning back to Grace. "I never knew how invisible he felt until just recently. How did we all get so messed up, mama?"

Grace stepped closer to Diego and gently stroked the side of his face. "A lot of bad decisions and mistakes were made," she said gently. "But moving forward, I'm going to make sure no one is ever left out or abandoned again."

Diego nodded solemnly. "I'll do the same," he promised.

Grace kissed his cheek, holding him close for a few moments before she guided him towards the bed. "I'm glad to hear that, sweetie."

"I've missed you, mama. Everything I did..." Diego swallowed hard, unable to look her in the eye. "...I'm sorry..."

"I missed you so much." Grace pressed her hand against his cheek and then clasped his face, drawing it down so she could kiss his forehead. She held him for a moment or two longer and then sat on the bed, drawing him down across her lap.

Diego closed his eyes at the kiss, then followed meekly when she led him to the bed.

Grace settled him securely in place, stroking his back before baring him. "I love you, Diego," she reiterated, rubbing his back again before she lifted her hand and brought it down firmly on his backside. She'd had this discussion with him more times than she could count, so she started out harder than she had with Klaus, even though she wasn't swatting as hard as she could.

Diego hissed in a breath and tried not to squirm too much. He'd been wounded, after all. He wondered if she'd noticed the wounds, but then thought she must. She was swatting hard enough for him to believe she had. He began whimpering nearly immediately.

Grace kept her grip on her son tight, holding him securely enough that he couldn't squirm so much and hurt his wounds further. She swatted down to his thighs and then began again from the top. "This isn't the first time we've had to discuss this, Diego."

"No, ma'am, it isn't..." Diego began to twitch, still trying hard not to squirm, but finding it difficult.

Completing the second circuit, Grace began a third, going a bit harder and faster. "How many times will we have to revisit this, Diego? Until you stop putting yourself in danger? I've lost one son. I can't lose another one. _I can't lose you_."

"I know, mama... I know. I can't help myself. I don't know why..." Diego began to sob.

Grace wrapped her free arm around Diego's waist, pulling him tighter and more secure against her stomach as she began to focus more swats to his sit spots and thighs. "If it's not something you can stop on your own, then perhaps we should be doing this more often to remind you to think about your own safety."

"Mama..." Diego's voice broke and he just slumped over Grace's lap. He didn't argue her point, though. He couldn't help but think she was right.

Grace landed another full circuit of swats and a final few to his sit spots and thighs, then carefully moved him into her arms and onto her lap, hugging him as close and tight as she had with Klaus earlier.

Diego lay still and accepting through the remainder of his punishment. Once he was up and being held, though? He burrowed against his mother and just held on as tightly as he could, sobbing softly. "It hurt so bad, mama...still hurts," he choked out; referring to losing her and then losing Dora. His bottom ached, but that actually helped, as it focused him on something other than the emotional pain.

Grace kissed his head and held on tightly, letting her hand stroke down over his hair and back. "I love you," she murmured. "I know it hurts, sweetie. But you don't have to deal with it alone. I've got you. I'm not going away again," she promised, tightening her embrace.

Diego slowly relaxed into her arms as she continued the comfort and affection, finally finding a small bit of peace. "...Love you, mama..." he whispered, before falling asleep.

**The End**


End file.
